Published: April 21,2016
Pop music
superstar Prince, the prolific arranger and instrumentalist who once
asked Super Bowl halftime show organizers, “Can you make it rain
harder?”, was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis on
Thursday.
The cause
of death isn't known. Authorities said deputies who were summoned to a
medical emergency found him in an elevator, unresponsive, and CPR
failed.
Prince is shown here performing during the Super Bowl XLI halftime show on February 4, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida during rainstorm. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
Prince
was widely acclaimed as one of the most inventive musicians of his era,
known for his eccentric personality as much as his musical genius. When
told by a producer that rain would threaten his halftime performance at
Super Bowl XLI in 2007 in Miami, the singer just asked, “Can you make it rain harder?”, the New York Times reports.
As
Kelefa Sanneh, the Times reviewer, reported, the heavy rain made the
smoke and lights seem mysterious, instead of ridiculous. “And there was a
sneaky thrill in watching Prince steal the field from guys three times
his size, if only for a few moments.”
Thursday
evening, a small group of fans gathered in the rain on a hillside
opposite Prince's home and studios at Paisley Park, some taking photos
with their cellphones. A rainbow formed over the performer's studio.
A rainbow just appeared over Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen. #Prince
One woman cried hysterically as she waved away an Associated Press reporter.
Many celebrities took to Twitter to express their sadness Thursday. Basketball star Magic Johnson wrote that he was "so devastated by the passing of my good friend Prince."
President Barack Obama is lamenting the loss of a "creative icon" with the death of rock superstar Prince.
In a statement, the president called Prince "one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time."
Obama also said "nobody's spirit was stronger, bolder or more creative" than Prince's.
Director Spike Lee remembered Prince as "A Funny Cat" with a "Great Sense of Humor."
The Rev. Jesse Jackson praised Prince for fighting for the freedom of artists and for himself, recalling the rocker's skirmishes with the recording industry. Jackson says Price "was a transformer."
US musician Prince performs during half-time 04 February 2007 at Super Bowl XLI at Dolphin Stadium in Miami between the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts. ( JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images)
Four of his albums — "The Very Best of Prince," ''Purple Rain," ''The Hits / The B-Sides," and "1999" — jumped to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 8th on iTunes' Top Albums chart by Thursday afternoon.
The singer's music catalog, including last year's "HITNRUN Phase One & Two," was streaming on Tidal, another high-profile exclusive for the Jay Z-backed service. Other streaming services like Spotify and Rhapsody did not offer Prince's songs.
A Warner Music spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the latest state of his contract with the record label.
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